Salary Talk: Should I leave my startup to seek a better salary and title?

Salary
Talk

Startups
are great places to gain job responsibility, but sometimes you have
to make a tradeoff between responsibility and pay.

Should
I leave my startup to seek a better salary and title?

Q.I
joined my current company (Pre-IPO) right out of school as a junior
QA engineer testing our product. Over the last three years, I have
moved from that position to one with key responsibilities while
the company has gone from 30 people to 50. Although I have been
given the responsibilities of a software project lead reporting
to the CTO and supervising the work of the others, there has been
no official change in my title. I have been given raises quite frequently,
but am still getting paid less than those I supervise. This is mainly
due to my low starting salary as I have been given approximately
15 percent raises every 9 months on average. Since it is a small
setup, it does not seem appropriate to ask for more as others have
not got any for the last 18 months. Except for the salary and title,
my job is very satisfying. Should I just look elsewhere to get a
more appropriate title and salary?

A.It's
the classic issue of salary versus title. Of course, you can have
both. It is quite thoughtful of you to consider the financial situation
of your company and the economy. However, if your company had to
replace your skill set, it would probably pay more than that of
a junior QA engineer. Fortunately for you, you are in a profession
that has been less adversely affected by the economy.

Ask
your manager what your role is in the company, and what plans they
have to raise your salary so that it is commensurate with your scope
and responsibilities. Don't threaten your manager with resignation,
but at least ask if they are working toward adjusting your salary
so your are making something comparable to the people you supervise.

If
the salary and job title are important to you, by all means polish
your resume. But it seems to me that you enjoy working at your current
company. During the past three years you have probably gained an
enormous amount of experience in management, which is worth a lot
of money. So, balance the opportunity to make more money against
the meaningful experience so if and when you do leave your current
employer, you will be able to command a higher salary.

Speak
to your manager and see what they can do for you. If you think their
offer and/or explanation is reasonable, stay on. If you think you've
outlived your time and now need to start making more money sooner
rather than later, then by all means start circulating your resume.